ATLANTIC- Officials with the Cass County Health System (CCHS) say Dr. Rick Rinehart, E-N-T (Ear, Nose & Throat specialist), will begin seeing patients on August 17, 2020 at the Atlantic Medical Center Surgery Clinic.  Dr. Rinehart will provide care for all ages in the clinic and also perform surgeries in Atlantic. He is a board certified Otolaryngologist Head and Neck Surgeon (ENT) with over 20 years of experience.

Dr. Rick Rinehart, ENT. (Photo submitted)

The doctor was born and raised in Iowa and did his undergraduate studies at Iowa State University. He then completed both medical school and his residency at the University of Iowa. Rinehart served as a Clinical Assistant Professor in ENT for the University of Iowa and instructed ENT residents in Des Moines for over a decade. In 2013 Des Moines Magazine presented him with the “Best Doc” award in his field as voted by his ENT peers.

CCHS CEO Brett Altman says “Dr. Rinehart is an exceptional physician. We strive to develop relationships like this with the best, brightest, and kindest doctors so that our patients can get
outstanding healthcare services right here at home.”  To schedule an appointment with Dr. Rinehart, patients should call the AMC Surgery Clinic (formerly Southwest Iowa Surgery) at 712-243-7535.

Page County Sheriff’s Deputies, assisted by Shenandoah Police and Fremont County Sheriff’s Deputies, Sunday afternoon, arrested 24-year old Christopher Andrew Blackwell, of Red Oak. Blackwell was charged with Serious Assault, following an investigation into an incident at a residence in southwestern Page County, about eight-miles south of Shenandoah. A call came into PAGECOMM Dispatch via 911 at around 1:42-p.m..

The caller said Blackwell, the alleged suspect, was still in the residence and possibly armed with weapons.  Blackwell taken into custody and transported to the Page County Jail where he is being held on $1,000 bond, pending further court proceedings. Shenandoah Ambulance Service also assisted at the scene.

Sheriff’s officials in Pottawattamie County have issued a report about an accident that took place near the Pott./Cass County line last Thursday evening. As we mentioned in our previous reports, the crash took place at around 5:25-p.m. in the area of 53386 Elmtree Road, northwest of Griswold. Authorities say 25-year old Brett Tyler Martin (address not given) was arrested for OWI/1st offense.

A little after midnight, Saturday, Pott. County Deputies arrested 24-year old Selena Naomi Herrera, following a disturbance in Oakland. Herrera was charged with Assault – without intent, causing bodily injury or mental illness. Saturday evening, 52-year old Darren Keith Brooks, of Oakland, was arrested at a residence in Oakland, following a domestic disturbance. Brooks allegedly assaulted his wife, and was charged with Domestic Abuse Assault/1st offense with serious injury and intent. Brooks was also arrested Sunday afternoon for Contempt of Court, with regard to Violation of a No Contact/Protective Order.

Saturday night, 36-year old Trent Matthew Suhr, of Walnut, was arrested in Oakland, for OWI/3rd or subsequent offense (six prior convictions within the past 12 years). He was also cited for speeding. His bond on the felony OWI charge, was set at $5,000. Late Friday morning, 43-year old Harry James Schneckloth, of Council Bluffs, was arrested on a State of Nebraska warrant for being a Fugitive from Justice. He was being held in the Pott. County Jail on $1,000 bond associated with a Possession of Controlled Substance charge.

And, Thursday afternoon, 34-year old Joseph Brian Samuelson, of Council Bluffs, was arrested on a warrant for Assault without intent, causing bodily injury or mental illness. Samuelson, who was already being held in the Pott. County Jail on other charges, was served with the warrant for Assault, and returned to the custody of Corrections staff.

Online student registration has begun for the upcoming school year in the Atlantic School District. School officials say the District will continue to utilize the “rollover” online registration process with JMC, the district’s student information system. If your student(s) attended ACSD last school year (2019-20) and were still in attendance on the last day of school, you need to follow the steps in JMC Parent Portal to verify registration information and pay student fees. Student fees need to be paid by Friday, October 9, 2020.

Students who are new to the school district and are planning to enroll for the 2020-21 school year will need to contact each student’s school office to make an appointment to begin the enrollment process. If you don’t have access to the internet/online, please feel free to stop at your child’s school. The office will be more than happy to assist you in any way. Should you have any questions regarding school registration or the payment of school fees, please contact your respective school.

For more information please visit: https://www.atlanticiaschools.org/registration

Sheriff’s officials in Page County conducted a traffic stop at around 2:20-a.m. Sunday near the intersection of Highway 2 and V Avenue, or about two miles east of Clarinda. The driver of the vehicle, 28-year old Mark Andrew Devine, of College Springs, failed to pull-over until he came to intersection of Highway  2 and 8th Street, in the Clarinda City Limits.  Devine was taken into custody for OWI/1st Offense, and cited for excessive speed. He was transported to the Page County Jail and held on $1,000 bond, pending further court appearances Page County Deputies were assisted in making the stop and arrest, by Officers with the Clarinda Police Dept.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A new survey of business leaders released Monday suggests the economy continues to recover in nine Midwest and Plains states, but businesses are still cutting jobs amid the ongoing impact of the coronavirus outbreak. Creighton University economist Ernie Goss says the economy still remains weaker than before the virus outbreak began. The overall index for the region improved to 57.4 in July from June’s 50.3. Survey organizers say any score above 50 suggests growth. A score below 50 suggests decline.

The monthly survey covers Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma and South Dakota.

(Radio Iowa/KJAN) – With low temperatures this (Monday) morning in the 40s and 50s across Iowa, it’s becoming clear that August could contain a radical shift from the extreme heat of July. State climatologist Justin Glisan says July wrapped up on Friday being much warmer and drier than normal. “Typically, we expect the temperature to be around 74 degrees, the average temperature for the state, and it’s looking like anywhere from two to three degrees above average, depending on where you are in the state,” Glisan says. “In terms of precipitation, the story of the month is drought conditions creeping into western Iowa.”

The latest surveys show more than half of Iowa is either in drought already or has very dry conditions, with the worst areas being in western Iowa and moving eastward. “Typically, we expect four-and-a-half inches of rainfall across the state and there are parts of the state that only received 25% of what they normally would get in July,” Glisan says. “There are pockets in west-central Iowa that are anywhere from three to four inches below average.” Coming out of the hotter, drier July, Glisan says August promises to be a cooler, wetter month. “That would be an absolute gift for our drought region. We have 22 counties that are currently in D-2 drought, which is severe drought,” Glisan says. “Cooler temperatures and more rainfall would help mitigate any kind of crop stress that we’re seeing out there but it would also help improve the drought conditions that we’re seeing.”

High temperatures for the week ahead are expected to be in the 70s and low 80s with mostly dry conditions in the forecast.

More State and area news from KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) — Police in eastern Iowa have arrested a man accused of shooting another man in the parking lot of a Davenport funeral home, where he was attending his 8-year-old son’s funeral. The Quad-City Times says 26-year-old Jeramie Shorter, of Davenport, was shot Saturday morning outside Weerts Funeral Home and later died. Shorter was at there to attend the funeral of his son, Jermier Leon Shorter, who died from cancer.

Police later arrested 24-year-old Nuemonei Tre Vonne Laster, of Davenport, who appeared in court Sunday on charges of first-degree murder, eluding, and weapons counts. He is being held on a $300,000 cash bond.

The Creston Police Department reports two recent arrests. Sunday night, 47-year old Emily Cook, of Creston, was arrested  for OWI 1st. Cook was released from the Union County Jail on a $1,000 bond. And, at around 6:45-p.m. on Friday, 18-year old Chandler Parker, of Creston, was arrested at the Union County Law Enforcement Center, on a Union County Warrant for Assault Causing Bodily Injury. Parker was released from the Union County Jail on a $1,000 bond.